Ashanti Collection - 2019
The Ashanti Collection is inspired the ancient Ashanti tribe of Ghana.
Rich in culture, the Ashanti, known for their intricately woven Kente cloth, were the largest Ghanaian tribe who were fiercely proud, having resisted colonisation and maintained self-sufficiency in its trade in Gold and Agricultural produce.
This contemporary collection consists of pieces made mostly in primary coloured Kente printed Cotton with accents of Monochrome print and Cobalt blue Guinea Brocade.
One of the most important symbols of the Ashanti is The Golden Stool. It is said to hold the spirit of the Ashanti people. It was considered so sacred that it has never actually ever been used as a seat and was not even allowed to touch the ground, so when it was brought out for special occasions it would be placed on another stool or an animal skin. It represented ancestral worship and a high regard for their ancestral wellbeing. Legend has it, that it fell in the lap of the first Ashanti King Osei Tutu caused by the High Priest Okomfo Anokye, the first chief-founders of the Asante Confederacy.
“The Ashanti collection is SOBOYE’s largest to date and brilliantly demonstrates his bold use of colour and pattern to full effect, whilst continuing to reference Africa as his main source of inspiration and adding spice and flare to the contemporary fashion landscape”
In 1896 The British fought the Ashanti in an attempt to capture the Golden Stool, although the British won the war they failed to capture the Stool, instead King Prempeh I was exiled to the Seychelles. The King Asantehene Prempeh I once stated, "My Kingdom of Ashanti will never commit itself to any such policy of protection; Ashanti people and the Kingdom of Ashanti must remain an independent sovereign state as of old, and at the same time be friends with all white men".
Only Ashanti Men weave Kente cloth whilst the Women choose the colour-ways.
A modern woven Kente is woven on a wide loom instead of the traditional narrow is used in the collection for tailoring of some key pieces.
An ‘Afrikimono’ Suit featuring Kimono sleeves, shows SOBOYE’s cross-cultural referencing; another is given the SOBOYE touch with Kente/monochrome print jacket with matching trousers. A Tri-fabric coat, SOBOYE's first, is a majestic mix of texture and colour with turquoise fringing for added detail.
The Ashanti collection is SOBOYE’s largest to date and brilliantly demonstrates his bold use of colour and pattern to full effect, whilst continuing to reference Africa as his main source of inspiration and adding spice and flare to the contemporary fashion landscape.
This season also sees a collaboration with Shoreditch Tailor Mr. Start in the form of a streamlined suit, in a Bold Emerald Green Vlisco print - a hue that is a nod to the lush, fertile land and rich wildlife found in much of Africa and seen in the flags of many African nations.
